Can’t go wrong with:

Nikon D40

i suggest you nikonD40

I’d go with the Nikon D40 as well. It’s not a pro camera, but it’s a good start. For about $450 you can get the body and a standard lens.

I recommend Nikon D40.

I would suggest Canon rebel XS.It is a user friendly camera.Easy to use and provide professional picture.

and another good one is Nikon D40.Nice out of the camera result picture quality.Affordable price.Compact size and light weight

I would recommend you seriously consider the Canon G10.
It is a point and shoot camera with most of the features and capabilities of a DSLR. It is also small enough to go in your coat pocket or pocketbook so you can take it anywhere without having to lug around a bulky SLR. The best camera in the world is of no use to you if it is safe and secure in your home when you come across that perfect shot.

It is marketed as a point and shoot for professional photographers and serious enthusiasts.

Another thing is the price. Intro DSLR’s usually come with a poor quality standard lens that is of little use if you need telephoto capability. The G10 has 28 – 140mm zoom. To get the equivalent zoom in a Canon EOS requires a EF-S 17-85MM f4-5.6 IS USM which is about $500.00. The Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX ED VR lens is well over $600.00. Both are fine lenses but by the time you get a truly usable system you will have well over $1000 in it.

Here are some high-resolution images taken by the G10:
Take a look at this:
It is a jpg file!!! This camera is amazing!

1 mo thing: Get a copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements. It works great with the RAW data mode of the G10.

Any that is in your price range.
Really be it from Nikon, Cannon, Sony or even the rather cute smaller fourth-third models from Pentax.

Yup any will do but you’ll find that most will use either a Cannon or a Nikon camera and I guess it is a decent bet. What you gotta look at is if the body offers things like “auto focus” in an attempt to make things cheaper they have been taking the auto focus motor out of the body in certain camera’s. A waste when you want to work with older lenses that don’t have their own focus motor.

Another point is stabilisation, yes image stabilisation is quite an interesting topic to. Many put it in the lens and call it “VR” or something like that. On the shorter lenses you probaby don’t need it but as the lens gets longer any movement is well obviously bigger through the lens eye. So then having stabilisation is quite usefull.

And in the end look at ergonomy, go to a shop where you can hold a few models in you hand and try to get a feel. See for yourself if you like the place of the buttons and how the grip is. And more important if you can life with the weight, get used it lugging your camera around your neck.

Remember the biggest price in the end in the lenses and other stuff, the body itself is mere a work tool. It is the glass that defines the maximum quality of your picture and it is tools like an external flash and a good bag that matter to. So the body really is the starter, start with a simple body that provides enough and buy good glass and extra stuff. Then later if the body needs to be replaced you can upgrade the body and get even more out of your lenses.

So to start I would see see what the kit has to offer you, a kitlens isn’t the best obviously but todays kitlenses are quite darn good. Light and decent flare control with good image quality.

In your course you’ll learn allot about what more there is to photography and what type of stuff will give the best result. Oh and don’t forget enjoy it, really enjoy it. I self bought myself an SLR..no college course mere a city course so to say and I love going out with my camera and who knows what I find to photograph. Right now there are swan young here..growing up fast so I have quite a few pictures of them small and bigger.

Remember your camera is your tool, The quality comes from the glass and though a good tool helps it takes a good photographer to make a great shot.